2012-10-05

The works of Shakespeare, while today considered elite high culture, were not quite so at the time. The Globe theatre was filled with all classes of society, from the upper to the lower: even Queen Elizabeth was known to attend. Or rumoured to attend, at the very least.

It therefore seems an odd for the Edmonton Fringe, since pop culture and fringe theatre don't seem to go hand in hand, to feature Shakespeare's works (and rarely does it happen). In this case though, it does with a twist: it's a one-man Macbeth, told in roughly 35 minutes.

In a high octane thrill ride, NAME OF GUY dives, dances, lances, and prances playing all the major characters. It's a good and fun romp, and some of the prop choices form the major humourous elements of the story. The pacing is excellent, the acting quite good, and the story elements kept and abandoned mostly do the job of effectively condensing the story.

If there's a complaint to be made about One Man Macbeth, it's that you really really need to brush up on your Macbeth before going into the play: if the story is new or unfamiliar to you, then you won't be able to follow along much. Even a general familiarity of the story probably isn't enough. If you plan on checking this show out, make sure you know what you're going to see, or else you aren't going to know what you've watched.

Final word: One Man Macbeth is a worthy entry in the pantheon of the Bard, but first read the Macbeth Wikipedia page